In the shadows of tall buildings
by andaboveall
Summary: Rachel thinks it's pretty unbelievable that they were in glee club together for three years, and she still didn't know that he was going to be at Julliard as well.


They run into each other on the first day of classes, and Rachel thinks it's pretty unbelievable that they were in glee club together for three years, and she still didn't know that he was going to be at Julliard as well. They decide to grab coffee and catch up and Mike ends up explaining the whole thing. Turns out he'd gotten a late acceptance when another student ended up injured, and wasn't able to take their scholarship. She realizes that's awful for the other person, but she's kind of glad to have him around, she was worried she wouldn't make any friends, so at least knowing one person will make this whole thing a lot easier.

He teases her about the shocked expression she had on her face when she saw him; she smiles but she feels guilty because she was really shocked. She always knew he was a good dancer, but she had no idea the level of talent he has. It was enough to get into Julliard, even just barely, and that means something to her. She's impressed, and she even manages to convince him he should teach her some moves, just to round out her repertoire, you never know when knowing how to pop and lock could come in handy. She thinks she'll probably never come across a situation where it'll be useful, but she kind of wanted an excuse to see him again. He's sweet, and it's nice having a familiar face around.

She's already started drifting from the few friends she'd made over the last two years at McKinley. So to have someone in New York she knows is the greatest surprise she could have gotten on her first day of college.

When they finally leave the coffee shop three hours later, they trade phone numbers and he hugs her as he tells he'll see her soon. She smiles all the way back to her apartment.

* * *

><p>They have a standing coffee date every Monday afternoon from that day on. They meet up at the coffee shop just off campus and let off steam; Julliard is intense and competitive and they both really need the outlet. Mike likes to tease her taste in coffee drinks ("Really Rach, soy lattes?") but she firmly believes he has no right to tease her because he gets the same thing every single time, a hot chocolate with a mountain of whipped cream on top. Apparently he doesn't drink coffee. She thinks he's so adorable drinking his hot chocolate, trying not to get whipped cream on his nose and failing every time.<p>

They spend a lot of time laughing, at each other, at other people, at anything really. But they also spend a lot of time talking. They talk about the insane competitive nature that is ever present in their school; they talk about their futures and how they're both going to be stars in their respective fields. They never talk about the past. The last year of high school was messy and painful for both of them, and Rachel knows she cares about him too much to bring it up, she thinks he feels the same.

The coffee dates lead to movie nights and bowling nights and even an attempt at those dance lessons Mike had promised her. Basically they're best friends, and practically attached at the hip any time they can be.

People at school joke around that they're secretly dating, but they just brush it off. They're friends, nothing more. They can tell each other anything, they make each other laugh, and keep each other sane. It doesn't have to be anything more than that. Even if sometimes Rachel gets butterflies in her stomach when he smiles at her. And Mike can't help but smile every time he hears her laugh.

* * *

><p>She feels guilty letting her fathers pay for everything, so she gets a job at their coffee shop to help out a little. It's not much, and she only works a couple of shifts a week, but it's better than nothing. Usually Mike will come in and sit at the counter drinking his hot chocolate, just so she has company when things slow down. The rest of the time he just plays around on his computer, or studies to pass the time.<p>

She thinks it's incredibly sweet that he comes in all the time, even if they only get five minutes to talk sometimes. Usually it's about school, or the future, or even just making plans for the weekend.

On a particularly slow evening after she's been working there for about three weeks, he doesn't say much all evening, and he seems kind of wrapped up in his own world. So Rachel doesn't bother him, and instead does some meaningless tidying up when things slow down.

"Everything was so much easier in high school," he says out of the blue. He's clearly in an odd mood. She thinks about what he's said for a minute before answering, because while that may be true for him, she doesn't think the same could be said for her.

"Things weren't really all that easy for me," she answers, because it's the truth. He looks apologetic at that, and she knows he didn't mean to drag up all her old issues and insecurities, so she's not mad.

They're both quiet for a few minutes, thinking about Lima and McKinley and all they left behind. Or at least that's what she's thinking about, she's assuming he's doing the same.

She's pulled out of her thoughts when he places his hand gently on top of hers and says, "I'm sorry about you and Finn, you don't deserve that." She smiles at him, because he's right, but also because she knows he really means it.

"I'm sorry about you and Tina, you don't deserve that either."

She's glad they've got things out in the open now. Even if they really haven't talked about it, it's a start.

* * *

><p>He's pissed at his roommate one night because he has absolutely no sense of personal space. Legit, the dude's motto should be "What's yours is now mine". So the first thing he does after shoving some shit in a duffle bag, is use his fake I.D. (Thank you, Puckerman!) to buy some cheap whiskey.<p>

He ends up sitting on a bench at Strawberry Fields, because John Lennon was awesome. And also when buzzed on whiskey, walking that far seemed like a great idea. It's still not too late when a group of tourists show up, and after a few minutes they begin to sing "All You Need Is Love".

For some reason, he thinks of Rachel then. She's just about the only true friend he has these days. He loves being able to dance, but Julliard is just one large competition, and anyone of his 'friends' would stab him in the back the instant they thought it would serve them well.

He doesn't even realize he's dialed his phone until he hears her say, "Hello".

"It's a quarter after one, I'm a little drunk, and I need you now," he sings loudly into the phone.

"Michael? It's only 10:30," she answers. Well, he thought it was funny.

" 'member when you and Puck sang that song? It was really good. You sound pretty when you sing." He's rambling and he knows it, but whatever. It's the whiskey's fault, and his roommate's.

Rachel's quiet for a moment before she asks, "Is everything alright Mike?"

"New York really sucks sometimes," he slurs slightly.

"Where are you, I'll come meet you," she says, and he can tell she's worried about him.

That's how he ends up crashing on Rachel's couch for four days. She's kind of an awesome friend.

* * *

><p>She calls him one night at eleven o'clock in tears just to tell him he's a great friend, that's all she says before she hangs up the phone. He knows there's got to be more to it than that, he knows her. So to prove what a great friend he is he shows up at the apartment, the one her dads are paying for, twenty minutes later, with a carton of strawberry sorbet in his hand. She answers the door she's in her pajamas, tissues in hand, and tears still running down her cheeks. When she sees him she gets a small, tearful smile on her face before she leaps into his arms and breaks down sobbing.<p>

He's never seen her like this before, so he's not really sure what to do, but he wraps his arms tightly around her and gently guides her back into her apartment. When she's sitting on the sofa, leaning into his chest, he just sits there rubbing her back and waits until she's ready to talk.

After a few minutes she sits up and takes a deep breath, wipes a few stray tears off of her cheeks and says, "Finn called. He says he _misses me._"

"Well shit." He's kind of pissed at Finn. Dude's his bro and even if he didn't pay that much attention to the their relationship back in high school, he knows enough about it to know that Rachel got mucked around a lot. She's his friend now and he doesn't really want to see that happen, see her turn into the Rachel she was when she was with Finn; insecure, needy. She's a completely different person now, she's stronger and if this is what one phone call from Finn does to her, he's not going to let him just waltz back into her life. He really doesn't know what to say to her, he's never been the consoling type, but he gives it a try anyway.

"Listen Rach, you can't let him get to you. What you guys had was special to you, and I know it was hard when it ended, especially how it ended. But you can't get sucked back into that cycle again. You deserve better than that Rach, the back and forth that your relationship with Finn has always been."

She smiles at him, and gives him a big hug, and he thinks he did pretty well.

"I meant what I said, you really are a great friend Michael," she says to him when she pulls back from the hug. He's not going to lie, he feels really fucking proud he got her to smile again.

They don't talk about it for the rest of the night; just sit on her couch eating strawberry sorbet right out of the container and watching mindless TV. He knows it's not over, that she's still upset. He sees the occasional tear that slides down her cheek, even if she's doing her best to hide it. He hates seeing her this upset, and he kind of wants to punch Finn in the face for ever making her feel this way. He doesn't care that he and Finn are friends, because no one deserves to feel this way, especially not Rachel.

He chooses to ignore how good it feels when she falls asleep on his chest, with his arm wrapped around her tightly, and instead just pulls a blanket over her and closes his eyes.

Rachel works the next day, an afternoon shift since it's Saturday. He goes with her just to keep her company, and because he's still really worried about her. She's great at her job, and loves talking to customers; she's kind, and gracious, and sweet, but today she's just distracted. She doesn't seem to be in the mood to talk, so he just sits there drinking the hot chocolate she made him, and editing a video on his laptop. Or at least attempting too, he's kind of distracted by how quiet Rachel is being, because that is the complete opposite of normal for her.

By the time her shift is over, and she's barely said two words to him, even when the coffee shop was completely empty, he's officially worried. He walks her back to her apartment, and it's completely silent until they get to her door and he asks quietly, "Are you going to be okay on your own tonight?"

"I'll be fine, I'm just going to get something to eat and then do some school work," she replies. He's still hesitant to leave her, but he has a phone call to make, and it's not something he wants to do with her around. So instead he pulls her in for a big hug and whispers "Goodnight" in her ear before heading for his place.

He has it out with Finn that night on the phone when he gets back to his apartment, basically telling him that while they might be friends, he's not going to stand by and watch him yank Rachel around. Finn's a little confused at first, clearly in the dark about how close their friendship has gotten but he finally gets the message when Mike tells him to "Stop fucking around".

He doesn't swear that much, so he knows that'll make Finn pay attention, despite the guys' sob story about Quinn always bitching at him and how they'd had this huge blowout fight, and that's when he'd called Rachel. Whatever, Mike gets him to promise not to do that again, so he guesses they're cool. As long as Finn keeps his word.

When he gets off the phone, he texts Rachel to tell her that Finn won't bother her like that again. She doesn't reply, but the next day she's back to her usual self, so that's good enough for him.

* * *

><p>They go bowling one night, for some ungodly reason, just the two of them. She hates herself for only being able to think about that time with Finn back in sophomore year of high school when she was stupid in love with him. She hates him even more for calling her two weeks ago, and dredging up all her old feelings. She's been over him for a few months, but he was still her first love, and he hated how he was toying with her again.<p>

Mike can obviously tell she's distracted, because he makes it his mission to keep her occupied constantly. He dances his way towards the lanes, teases her bowling technique, and basically talks her out of her pity party.

By the end of the night, she has a fantastic new memory to replace the old one; commemorated by the photo booth pictures Mike talked her into at the end of the night. She puts the photos on the table beside her bed when she gets home, and goes to sleep with a smile on her face.

* * *

><p>Mike goes back to Lima for winter break, and she stays in New York, and she misses him probably more than she should. It's hard for her to push him out of her mind, but her fathers are in town for Hanukah and she enjoys getting to show her fathers all of her favourite places around New York now that she's been living in the city for four months.<p>

And if all of her favourite places are somehow linked to Mike, then she supposes that's all right, they are best friends after all.

He's happy to be back in Lima for Christmas, and to spend time with his family and his buddies from high school. The whole New Directions group gets together at Britt's and they all get along famously, like nothing has changed. Except it has, and no one seems to notice but him. First of all, Rachel's not there and it just feels weird to get together without her, since she was basically the glue that kept them together, especially senior year. Secondly, Tina and Artie are too sickeningly cute to look at, or maybe that's just him. He can't help but feel bitter over the way things went down between the three of them.

He bails on the party early and walks home by himself, thinking about that last week of high school when he figured it all out. Tina and Artie had been inseparable for months, and she felt the need to pretend like nothing was wrong, like she wasn't spending more time with Artie than him, like she wasn't slowly pulling away from him. She'd fallen in love with someone else, and he really couldn't blame her for that, but he sure as hell could blame her for not ending things earlier, for stringing him along.

When he gets home, he crawls into bed and falls asleep almost immediately. When he wakes up it's Christmas morning, and his younger brother and sister are excited about presents from Santa, and he's forgotten all about Tina and Artie.

Despite the party being a bust he has a good time over Christmas break, but when December 31st rolls around, he's ready for his flight back to New York.

* * *

><p>She's relaxing in her apartment, with Chinese food for dinner and a stack of her favourite musicals for company on New Years Eve. Her fathers had left the day before and she was drained from showing them around the city for a week and a half. She's more than happy to spend New Years Eve on her own, she's done it before. She's half way through Funny Girl at about nine o'clock, when there's a knock on her door. She squeals when she sees Mike standing on the other side of the door, and gives him a huge hug. She wasn't expecting to see him until tomorrow at least.<p>

When they pull apart, he looks around her apartment to see her movies and remnants of her dinner, and he frowns at her.

"Really Rach?" he asks.

"What? I wasn't planning to go out, or for anyone to show up at my door unannounced," she quipped back, giving him a pointed look.

He smiles again before announcing that she needs to get dressed, and that they're going to Times Square. When she protests, he just looks at her and says, "No one should stay at home with Chinese food on their first New Years Eve in New York City."

It's all the convincing she needs.

They kiss at midnight, because everyone else is doing it, and it's tradition, and why the hell not.

* * *

><p>He wakes up in her bed the next morning, like he's done many times before, and this time should be no different. Except it is, because they kissed, and he felt something that he just can't dismiss. Regardless of the number of times he's slept in her bed, or she's slept in his, this time is just different.<p>

So he leaves before she wakes up, because he doesn't want things to be awkward. And because she's still Finn's, even if he broke her heart, it's still his.

* * *

><p>She can't believe he's ignoring her. It's been a week since she woke up alone in her bed on New Years Day, and she hasn't seen or heard from Mike since. They kissed, and it was wonderful, and she's over Finn with his perfect life, in perfect Lima, with his perfect blonde ex-cheerleader of a girlfriend (So, maybe she's still a little bitter). She doesn't understand why he just won't talk to her.<p>

She's been thinking about it all week, so she decides she needs to get over it, and just get back into her regular routine now that classes are starting back up for the new semester.

She gets back to rehearsing, and her first day back in class she tries to push him out of her mind and focus on her work.

That Monday evening at work, Mike comes in, smiles at her, orders his hot chocolate and sits in his regular seat at the counter and asks her how her first day back was.

So she takes her cue from him, and pretends like nothing happened.

* * *

><p>It's four months of hell for him, pretending like everything's the same. They act the same, just the way things were before the kiss, but to his mind, everything is different. He's aware of Rachel in a way he never has been before. He always knew she was gorgeous, and he loved spending time with her, but she was his friend.<p>

Now he notices everything. Like when she takes the first sip of her morning coffee, she lets out a little whimper, likes it's the best pleasure of her life. And he wants to hear that sound all the time, except because of him, not the coffee.

He notices the way she stretches her back out when she's had a long day of classes and work, and something that once seemed so innocent, now seems bent on driving him crazy.

Worst of all is when she curls up next to him on the couch as they watch TV or a movie, and he's surrounded by the sweet apple scent of her shampoo, and he can feel all of her slim curves pressed tight against his side, and he's aware of every tiny movement she makes.

She seems hell bent on torturing him, and she doesn't even know it.

* * *

><p>It's weird, she thinks, how much things have changed, and yet stayed the same in those four months since their kiss. They both act like nothing has changed, and yet she knows they have. Because she wants him, and it's weird because she really hasn't wanted anyone since Finn cheated on her, and then left her for Quinn. But in a way it makes sense with Mike. They're best friends, and he always has her back even after only eight months in New York. She thinks maybe it's natural, this friendship evolving into something else, but she doesn't make a move, because she just can't push herself to put it all out on the line again, not after Finn.<p>

So she pushes it back, as much as she can, which if she's being honest with herself is not very much.

And every once and a while, she catches a glimpse in his eye, that makes her think maybe she's not so alone in this after all. Like when she falls asleep on his couch and wakes up as he's tucking her into his bed.

* * *

><p>They've finally made it through their first year, and it feels like such a relief. The night they finish Mike insists they go out to celebrate.<p>

Rachel gets all dressed up, and puts on ridiculously high heels and a short dress and they hit the bars, drinking and dancing, and draining all the tension of the last year out of their bodies.

It's a great night, and it's the night it all changes when they stumble back up to her apartment at two in the morning. Because as they're standing there in her tiny living room she looks at him with such an intense look in her eyes that he can feel his resolve to keep things platonic weakening already.

"Remember when we kissed?" she asks, and he nods his head slowly, unsure of where she's headed.

"I'm going to need you to do that again," she says. She grabs his hand, and pulls him towards her, backing herself up to the door and pulling him with her.

"What about Finn?" he asks because he knows how much she suffered from what he'd done to her.

All she says in return is "Finn who?" and smiles gently up at him.

She looks so gorgeous, and he wants her so bad, that he can't help but stop fighting it, and he lowers his lips to hers.

As they fall into her bed a few minutes later, he gently grabs her face so he can look her in the eyes. "Are you sure," he asks, because he needs to know that she's really ready for this.

"Yeah, I'm sure," she whispers back before raising her head to kiss him again.

And that's all he needed to hear before he gives in.

* * *

><p>When he wakes up in her bed this time, he pulls her closer and kisses her cheek before closing his eyes and falling back to sleep.<p> 


End file.
